


school's out, let's go get some ice cream

by pieckaboo



Category: Fruits Basket
Genre: Bonding, Canon Universe, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Ice Cream, Light Angst, Relationship Study
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-17
Updated: 2019-06-17
Packaged: 2020-05-13 18:41:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19256950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pieckaboo/pseuds/pieckaboo
Summary: Tohru and Yuki spend a nice afternoon together after school. Ice cream and introspection happens.





	school's out, let's go get some ice cream

**Author's Note:**

> It's almost summer time so i wrote this fluffy ice cream date/hangout for this adorable ship❤️🍦  
> I was recently introduced to the series and immediately fell in love so i read the manga and - just wow !! It was a rollercoaster of emotions for me, and these characters will stick with me for a long time, no doubt. (Thank god for the reboot! I'm so glad theyre adapting the entire manga into the anime!! The og anime was really good too- damn near broke my heart at the end there)
> 
> Anyway! Please enjoy this pointless fluff !!!  
> (And go get some ice cream!) :)  
> Titled inspired by [this cute song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2dGhJdWSBs) .

The breeze lifts Tohru’s hair, her dark tresses whirling behind her as they gently cascade down her back. She steels herself under the thin veil of her jacket as she carefully paces down the stairs outside the school’s main entrance, hand sliding down the railing.

Classes are done for the day and she’s rewarded with brilliant sunshine, its rays of light filtering through rows of blossoming trees, and the radiant warmth of spring on her walk.

She’s absentmindedly humming a tune when Yuki catches up to her. Something about his presence has her heart fluttering in an instant. It’s comforting in some ways, mysterious in others.

“Sohma-kun,” she says endearingly. “There’s a few things I need to pick up at the grocery store for dinner tonight. I thought I’d make a quick stop after school on the way home. Would you like to go with me?”

Yuki falls in step right beside her, protective and caring as always. He loosens the straps of his backpack and nods.

“I’d love to accompany you, Honda-san,” he agrees.

 

~0~

 

They come to a stop at a crosswalk when they reach the shopping district. The streets are lined with cozy storefronts and cafes on both sides, clustered together in neat formation. Yuki scans the bustling scene for the grocer Tohru frequently patronizes, mindful of the crowd ahead of them. He contemplates how to navigate through the throng of people without running the risk of bumping into a stranger and thus inadvertently activating his zodiac form.

“It’s rather busy today,” he notes.

Tohru has similar concerns. “We can wait until it clears up,” she offers, the gesture a clear means of encouragement. “Maybe we can check out another shop in the meantime…”

She frantically surveys their surroundings, and her sights quickly hone in on the alluring pastel colors of an ice cream parlor across the way. As far as she can tell, the line is fairly short, and the venue has plenty of seating arrangements available. Her mouth waters at the prospect of the dessert’s smooth and creamy texture, yearning to indulge her cravings.

Still, she hesitates, considering other options with only mild interest.

Yuki senses her apprehension, perceptive enough to recognize the spark in her eye and glimmer of excitement etched on her face as she admires the ice cream shop in the distance.

He seizes the opportunity to treat her. “How about we get some ice cream?” he suggests, succeeding in earning a cheerful response of approval from her.

“I was just thinking about that,” Tohru admits. “But I wasn’t sure if you’d be in the mood.”

Yuki’s expression softens at that. He takes her by the hand and leads the way towards the shop, urging her to stay close. “I think you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who’d turn down ice cream on a nice day like this.”

 

~0~

 

The interior of the shop has all the hallmarks of an old fashioned motif, layered in pastel colors of blue, pink, yellow, and white, and adorned in vintage photographs reflecting a bygone era of famed artists and classic characters like  _Astro Boy_.

There’s a display of all twelve flavors of ice cream near the cashier’s counter, encased in a wide glass container. Tohru beams as her gaze sweeps over the multitude of flavors, narrowing her options down to strawberry and mint chocolate chip.

“Which one are you getting?” she asks, turning to Yuki with the hope that his choice will somehow make hers a little easier.

Yuki rubs his chin in thought before revealing his selection. “Vanilla.”

Tohru figures his answer, generally speaking, is reflective of his personal tastes. Simple yet refined.

She opts for strawberry after Yuki receives his order on a waffle cone. After receiving her own order, they stop at the cash register and she quickly fishes for change in her pocket.

Before Tohru can so much as gather a few coins, Yuki’s already exchanged the total amount in a few yen notes with the cashier.

Her entire face heats up, coated in bright crimson. “Sohma-kun! You really don’t have to! I can pay for myself! It’s not a big deal! I have enough, I think-” She panics, mumbling on and on until Yuki extends his free hand and fixes the bow nestled on her hair in sloppy disarray.

“No need to get worked up,” he assures, amending the placement of the bow with ease. “I don’t mind paying. I know how hard you work… and it’s the least I could do for all that you put up with at home.”

Tohru calms at the affectionate tone of his voice. She does her best to quell the small pang of guilt still prodding away at her, fingers gripping the end of her cone with less exertion as her panic slowly fades into mere afterthought.

She follows him to a small red table with thick-cushioned seats, waiting until she’s settled comfortably before obliging herself. She closes her eyes, daintily licks the ice cream, and relishes in the sweet symphony of heavenly flavors as it melts in her mouth.

Yuki studies her reaction, pleased. “How is it?” he asks.

“It’s amazing!” She hums in appreciation, the ample taste of strawberry lingering on her tongue. “It’s been a while since I’ve had ice cream. The last time was-”

Abruptly, she stops, and her face falls.

Yuki waits for her to speak again, concern etched on his features. He can’t reach her when she’s so distant; so  _absent_. So lost in her inner musings.

“Tohru-san,” he says quietly. Using her given name brings her out of her dismal reverie, but sadness still reflects in her eyes with every weary blink. “What’s troubling you?”

Tohru shakes her head in dismissal, and apologizes. “I’m sorry,” she says with a sigh. “It’s not that I’m troubled. I was just thinking about my mother.”

Yuki eases into the delicate subject, curious yet tactful. “The last time you had ice cream was with her.” It’s not a question. It’s a realization.   

“Yeah,” Tohru replies, nostalgic. “We used to go to the beach every summer, and there was this vendor on the boardwalk with a small cart and a huge pink umbrella. After we’d spend the day swimming and making sandcastles together, she’d buy me a single scoop of whatever flavor I wanted. And then… we’d drive home… and sing along with the radio the entire way.”

Yuki watches her expression shift, adoring the way her eyes light up at the mention of her mother. He wonders what that’s like; to have parents who were genuinely devoted and involved. To be loved, cherished, and treasured the way she’d been in her childhood. Even after her passing, Tohru’s mother lives on in the memories she holds so dear to her heart. Even in death, the bond remains unbroken.

Perhaps, in a strange, inexplicable way, he’s found a way to heal the emptiness he’d felt inside through his relationship with her; a way to fill the void that stemmed from all those years of loneliness and despair. She’d always been so kind and benevolent, when most others had been so cruel and manipulative. She accepts him for who he is, and still cares for him in spite of his curse.

She’s taught him he’s worthy of love when he’d always believed he was undeserving of it, and he intends to share the sentiment with unwavering resolve.

“I think that’s sweet,” he tells her. He smiles when a blush dusts over her cheeks. “Have you been back since?”

Tohru makes a feeble attempt to hide her flushed face behind her cone before answering. “No, I haven’t,” she says, regretful. “I’ve been meaning to go back to honor our old tradition.”

“Why don’t we go this summer?” Yuki asks, and she instantly perks up. “We can make a weekend trip out of it during summer break.”

Tohru stammers, slightly caught off guard by the suggestion. “You- You’d really want to go with me?”

“Of course,” Yuki says without exemption. “If it’s important to you, it’s important to me.” He shrugs. “We can invite the others if you want.”

Tohru fumbles with her words, unable to articulate her enthusiasm before she realizes her ice cream’s melting, dripping onto the table. “Oh, oops!” Her flustered state is further amplified as she quickly yanks several napkins from a nearby holder and wipes the droplets away with urgency. Yuki holds in a small chuckle and offers assistance in the cleanup.

With the melted specks of ice cream removed from the surface of the table, Tohru lets out a sigh of relief and resumes eating at a relaxed pace - until Yuki smiles once more and comments on her bashful appearance.

 

“You’re adorable.”

 

It’s all he thinks about for the rest of the day.

**Author's Note:**

> short and sweet! :)  
> thanks for reading!  
> if you're a fellow tohru/yuki fan, give me a shout on tumblr! 
> 
> have a great summer! :)


End file.
